PUBLIC MEETING ON FLOOD ISSUE
DETAILS of a much sought-after public meeting to discuss work done in Stonehaven following last year's flooding have been confirmed.
DETAILS of a much sought-after public meeting to discuss work done in Stonehaven following last year's flooding have been confirmed.
The multi-agency meeting is to be held in Mackie Academy from 7pm on Tuesday, June 15.
Representatives from each agency involved with the flooding response will attend, including Aberdeenshire Council, Grampian Police, Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, the Grampian Emergency Planning Unit, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Water.
The meeting will cover the causes of the flooding, the emergency response, the recovery in Stonehaven, as well as future prevention and resilience of the affected areas.
The topics will be covered in a presentation and then followed by group discussion sessions for residents to discuss any issues that have not been covered with the agency representatives.
Kincardine and Mearns area manager, Willie Munro, said: "Last year's flooding had a profound effect on Stonehaven and surrounding areas.
"The meeting will give everyone the opportunity to understand what happened in November as well as see what work has been done by each agency as a result with a view to future prevention and resilience to flooding should it happen again."
Chairman of the Stonehaven and District Community Council David Fleming has pushed for the meeting for several weeks.
He said: "I'm glad at long last that Stonehaven residents will get a chance to follow up on their questions and the reports that have been issued. I hope it will be a productive meeting and not the witch-hunt which somebody has suggested. The community council urges people to read the reports and come along to the meeting and take part."
Mr Fleming added: "I think this is obviously an opportunity to try to get the answers that all the residents are seeking."
North-east Scotland MSP Alex Johnstone said that while he welcomed the meeting, he had reservations about whether residents would get these answers.
"I'm interested to discover this meeting is taking place. I hope that it will be the opportunity for the matter to be heard in greater detail but there is nothing in what Aberdeenshire Council has done so far that gives me confidence that we will get to the bottom of the flooding issue," he said.
"I will approach the meeting with an open mind and hope against hope that Aberdeenshire Council will take a much more open approach to the flooding issue. I remain seriously disappointed that they did not take up the opportunity to hold an independent inquiry and I believe that their position has been irrevocably weakened as a result of that."
Mr Johnstone added: "I look forward to hearing what they have to say and welcome the meeting in as far as it will give us an opportunity to reassess the way we take the issue forward."
Stonehaven and Lower Deeside councillor Wendy Agnew said: "I think there will be quite a few members of the public interested to hear just exactly what the council intend to do to prevent a reoccurrence of the flooding. I myself will be interested to know what they are going to do prevent a reoccurrence. People want answers. I want answers and I really hope they can give me answers that I'm happy with."
Residents who require assistance to attend the meeting are advised to call the Kincardine and Mearns Area Office on 01569 768201.
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Weather for Stonehaven
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
